Eire of Mystery

by Gavin Green

Chapter 15

  The cottage was filled with the aroma of Irish chili and the sounds of soothing instrumental music from the stereo speakers. While the dogs snoozed all around him, Brody closed his laptop and took another sip of warm tea. He glanced out the windows facing the lake, saw evening darkening an already gloomy day, and thought about his discoveries on what was the second strangest day of his life. But for what he learned about himself, unlike Kate's nimbus sight, there was no enlightenment of how it came to be.

  After the encounter with more of the Other Crowd that morning, and then seeing Kate off, Brody planned to returned to his sculptures as a means of mental escape. First, though, he had to get a clear perspective of recent events if he was going to find any focus to sculpt. He sorted through his mixed emotions, acknowledging that he still felt guilt over losing his temper, and shame from lack of self-control. Then Brody thought about the circumstances that caused his heated reactions. In such a surrealistic scenario, justification was considered and finally accepted without any lingering doubts.

  That new fairy, Pig-man the Barbarian (Brody couldn't recall his actual name), mentioned the 'gift of stone', which was never explained. He dwelt on those words while he looked over the big block of granite half-buried in his back lawn, and its deep finger indentations. 'How the hell did I do this?' he kept asking himself.

  Brody ultimately decided that carving stone would be a positive vent for the annoyances of the Other Crowd... as long as he didn't go heaving sculptures out into the fields.

  Tentative tests were made for any other implausible soft spots on the rest of the stone inventory, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Brody took a step back, both figuratively and literally, in an attempt to analyze the miraculous, unnerving event of Lorcan's second visit and the manhandling of a big block of granite.

  It took him a while to remember his own lesson, when he worked with Kate back in October to bring out her fae-sight. With new but wary enthusiasm, Brody sat and loomed over another block. Instead of studying the stone, he tried to sense it. Similar to how he'd told Kate to let the description come without thought, he let his hands move of their own volition over the cut surfaces.

  After taking a while to calm his nerves, Brody found success - bewildering, ominous success. He stepped away from his work and out of the shed, rubbing his hands as he tried to make sense of this new development.

  Taking deep breaths, Brody once again looked at the half-planted block of stone in his lawn. Needing to make everything around him appear normal again, he had to remove the evidence of his inhuman feat of strength. Focusing once again, and with no small amount of surprise, Brody was able to lift the embedded block of granite out of the lawn, and much easier than expected.

  He carried the nearly quarter-ton of granite back into the shed with only moderate effort, filled the deep dent in the lawn with garden dirt, and returned once more to explore his 'gift of stone'.

  The rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent in experimentation. Most of the work to cut away excess stone for a sculpture still needed tools to do so, but Brody's newly-found skills gave other obvious advantages. Carved details that might prove difficult with rasps, chisels, and drills were completed with a focused press of his finger along a contour. The buffing and smoothing of multiple surfaces that formerly would have taken hours was reduced to minutes.

  Brody was awestruck with his findings, yet simultaneously deeply troubled with their unknown origins. His gift of stone obviously imparted an amazing use for sculpting, and the strength to easily lift and manipulate stone. Beyond that, there were no explanations for how he'd come to possess it.

  He eventually left the shed and went back inside. A few emails awaited him, including one from Jamal. The note started out with a good medical report from his attack weeks ago. A cursory fiscal portfolio statement was then offered, should Brody care to inspect it. He didn't. Finally were the details of Jamal and Carla's upcoming marriage, with invitations to be sent out soon. The set date for the nuptials in April was close to Kate's birthday, which meant she'd be in the states for it.

  Another email was from the Irish courts; Ben Wagner would only be facing charges in the U.S. and would be held until his extradition. That might have been more interesting news if Brody hadn't lost some empathy for his cousin. Over time, Brody had come to think of Ben less as a victim and more of a greedy coward with a weak sense of morality.

  Texts were traded with Simon, who promised to send more pictures of his work (beyond what was shown on his website) as soon as he could figure out the "damn camera" on his phone. Inspired, Brody took a few quick pictures of his own and sent them off to his new cousin. Those shots included the dogs, a picture of Kate he had as a screensaver, and also one of himself. That last photo came out crooked and off-center, but it would have to do. Even in such a short time, Brody had come to think highly of his no-nonsense, independent relative, and envied Kate to have her family so near.

  Brody was giving the chili a cursory stir when he heard Kate's car pull up outside. After the door opened and shut, she didn't wait to take off her coat; she rushed into the kitchen and gave him a bruising hug and energetic kiss. She looked up at him with joy in her eyes. "I'm home forever, love," she said, breathless and soft.

  Brody kept his hold on her alluring form and smiled down at her. "I'll never have to miss you this much ever again, darlin'."

  They shared another kiss, more sensuous and lingering, before Kate was released to settle in and greet the dogs as well. While Brody served the meal, Kate gave a summary of her last day, in which she apparently did little and couldn't have cared less.

  The conversation over dinner turned to the message she was given that morning from Kazimir; any further chats with Cora might have to be edited, as she might have to be made to forget any details of the Other Crowd. Both Kate and Brody were disappointed with that decision, but not entirely surprised; the fae had reason to keep their secrets secure, even if their tactics were unsavory.

  As Brody gathered up the empty bowls, he said, "Okay, with you home now and things starting fresh for us, I want to make something clear." Kate looked up at him with slight concern while she helped wash the dishes. He noticed, and smiled to assure her. "It's nothing bad, darlin'."

  "Ah, good," she said. "Carry on."

  "Okay, you know I came here to live a simple life and do whatever made me happy. And now I have you, which makes everything better. But we seem to have an occasional fairy problem." He stopped his rinsing and turned to her. "I will not let any damn fairies keep us from being happy and living the lives we want. This whole thing is way too weird for me. If any more of 'em come around again, I'm just gonna throw them off our land. Then we'll get right back to doing our own thing, okay?"

  Kate paused in patting her hands dry with a towel. "You make it sound simpler than it might truly be. However," she continued with a growing grin, "you did kick one foul best like a rugby punt, and gave a monstrous boar a puck between the eyes that nearly planted him on his hairy arse. If you're only open for invited guests, then it sounds like a grand plan, love."

  "Good, I'm glad we can agree on that. Now, speaking of grand plans," Brody said as he led her to the living room, "you and I are hitting a pub tonight."

  "Perfect - I was going to suggest it. I think we both could use a drink after how our day started," Kate replied as they sat next to each other.

  "Couldn't agree more, but I want to talk about some stuff before we get going, okay? You know me; this is how my small mind works. I need to say it out loud and see what you think."

  "Of course; I enjoy our chats, no matter how strange they may be. But," Kate said with a mischievous grin, "I don't think there's anything about you that's small."

  Brody grinned and slightly blushed. "Keep your pants on 'til later, lady. Now quit distracting me."

  Kate kept her grin. "Sorry, please go on."

  He reached down to his side of the side of the couch and held up a small abstr
act stone sculpture near the size of a softball. "Tell me what you think of this, but keep in mind that I haven't applied the wax to it yet."

  Kate took the smooth stone in her hands and studied it from different angles. "This is wonderful. The intricate lines really bring it to life." She glanced up at him. "Have you been working on this long?"

  Brody sat back. "I made it this morning."

  She looked back up questioningly. "I don't know much about the process of carving, but that's rather quick, isn't it?"

  "Impossibly quick," Brody answered with a frown. He went on to explain that he did in fact have the 'gift of stone', like he was told that morning. He went on, voicing his anxiety over the lack of any rational explanation for how he acquired both the talent and feats of strength.

  "You're serious…" she said after a few seconds of silence.

  "Of course I am," he replied testily. "You think I'd joke about something like this? And before you ask, please don't make me prove it. Using this… whatever the hell it is, just to shape rocks? It's freaky, but I see the benefit. It's like a new, awesome tool. But that other thing, being able to lift a huge block of granite when I focus on it? That's all me - I can't pretend I'm using a tool then. It's unnatural, Kate. "

  She shrugged. "What's natural or otherwise may be judged on perspective. If what you have is truly a fae gift, then some might view it as quite natural. After all, they've supposedly been around longer than regular people have, and we learned that they're considered to be creatures of nature."

  "Fine," Brody responded with a frown, "maybe 'unnatural' was the wrong word to use. How about abnormal, or way, way outside the norm? You know what I mean. Not knowing where this gift of stone came from or how I got it really bothers me. Hell, I don't even know where to start looking for an answer." He sighed, slumping into the cushions. "What do I do about this?"

  Kate pondered Brody's words, and then suggested, "I say enjoy it, use it for your benefit. If there's no apparent down side, besides keeping your strength in check - which you said required concentration to bring about - then it sounds to me like a good thing. Actually, I'd say a grand thing. If you're meant to know the origin, it'll come."

  "Okay, good advice, but... you don't sound very surprised by this."

  She set the sculpture aside and took his hand. "I'd rather use the word 'astounded', but that's mixed with the recognition of this gift's potential. I didn't realize all the benefits of my own gift until I thought them through. With yours, it can speed the process and enhance the detail of your work. In turn, you can make more pieces for the shop you hoped to open, and it would leave more time to pursue your other interests." After a moment, Kate added, "Hopefully I fall into that last category."

  Brody looked off in thought. "Yeah, I guess it would, wouldn't it?" He quickly looked back at her hopeful expression, catching her last words. "Kate, you're at the top of every list I have."

  "You can say that as often as you'd like," she said softly.

  He took a moment to gaze into her deep, beautiful eyes and then resettled on the couch. "Before we switch to a much better topic, I need to know if you can come up with an explanation for it. I sure can't. I mean, this whole gift thing starts with the Other Crowd, and I really don't want anything to do with them. Now, we know where yours comes from. I mean your granddad, lightning-bolt Lurch. But I knew my grandparents, sort of, and none of them were fantasy creatures with freaky eyes. If this is some fairy gift, I'd rather not have it."

  "I understand your feelings." Kate absently caressed his hand while she mulled the situation over. "I'd imagine you'd remember making any deals where they'd grant you these powers for a price, or some off-hand request with payment at a later date."

  "Nope, there's no way in hell I'd even come close to making a deal with them."

  She nodded. "So, you've been given a gift. You don't know who granted it, or when, or why; 'how' is the least of the questions. Your extraordinary talents could have lain dormant until now for some reason. You could even have been born with it somehow. Did your parents ever show any signs of something... special?"

  Brody shook his head. "They were just great people, and completely normal."

  Kate put a finger to her chin. "The only coincidences I can see are that you got a job in masonry, and you excelled at it. Then you wanted to try sculpture." She looked at the stone figure again and then back to him. "You seem to have a knack for that as well. You might say you're drawn to it. And, as of yet, you've seen no side-effects in using the gift to the degree you have, yes?"

  "Nothing that I've seen, at least not yet," Brody confirmed. "But that Kaz dude said the words, 'gift of stone', and he turned out to be right. So they have that gift too, or some of 'em, or they can just give out magic abilities like they're candy, or something. Shit, how does it work?"

  "Love, I know just as much - or little - as you. All we truly know is that you've discovered something special within yourself, and thus far it comes with no debt or repercussion. I suggest not worrying about the unknown until it becomes necessary, which may be never. Take advantage of it."

  Brody looked at Kate with a smile forming on his face. "Damn, I love that logical mind of yours. I'm so glad I moved all the way to Ireland to find you."

  Kate grinned in return and lightly slapped his thigh. "Oh shut it, smooth talker. I'm just happy I can help you. Do you feel more at ease about all of this now?"

  "Yeah, I do, thanks. I'll just have to get used to it." He sat a little straighter. "Okay, let's move on. I had a few more things on my mind, and we'll hurry right through 'em."

  "At your leisure," Kate said while she scratched Pearl behind her fuzzy ears.

  "Okay, first… After a bit more research, I don't think sheep or goats would be the best move. They're more work than other animals. I'll talk with your dad about this, of course. But if I'm right, then that just means more donkeys for you. And I promise you'll have at least two waiting for you when you gals get back from your shopping tomorrow."

  Kate's beaming grin was infectious. Brody loved making her happy, more than anything else he could think of. "Now I almost don't want to go," she said. "I'll be squirming to get home the entire time."

  "Nah, go enjoy yourself and have fun." Brody got up and went to the kitchen. He called out, "The next couple of ideas need to be discussed to make sure you won't mind them."

  "Then let's hear them."

  "Well, I wanted to keep in touch with my American roots, and the Thanksgiving holiday is this coming Thursday." He filled the dog bowls and then fetched mugs of tea. "I want to invite people over for a big turkey meal, but not just family. I also wanted to invite Father Doyle, your friend Mary from the bank, Archie and Flinn, Alana, and even our neighbors just up the lane, the Moynihan's. Um, George and Ruby, I think. How does that sound?"

  "It sounds like great craic." Kate smiled in thanks as she was handed a warm, full mug. "It also sounds like some of us will be sitting out on the patio, eating turkey in the cold."

  Brody carefully sat with his full mug. "Not a problem. I'll just borrow a couple tables from the church rectory. We can make it work if you're on board. Would you mind helping me out? You're the better cook, anyway."

  Kate gave him a sharp look. "Flattery, is it? If I find myself in the kitchen cooking your meal while you're here on the couch with the other gents watching a match on the telly, then make yourself comfortable; it's where you'll be sleeping that night," she ended with a grin.

  He grinned back and put up a placating hand. "I promise to do most of the cooking."

  "Fair enough, then. I'll start inviting tomorrow."

  Brody nodded. "Here's the next thing, and it might be a bigger deal. I want to invite my cousin Simon out for Christmas. We've been talking a bit, and he hasn't mentioned anyone; not friends, no special someone, nobody. I think he might be all by himself, which would especially suck on holidays. And besides, I really want to meet him in person."

  Kate took a sip before saying, "Th
at's a fine offer. Do you know him well enough to make that kind of invitation, both for his sake and yours? I know he must be higher caliber than the Wagner's, but you haven't known him for long at all, Brody. I don't want to see this fall flat for you."

  "I see what you're saying, but I want to trust my instincts on this. Besides that he's the only real family I have, we sorta clicked from the start. Simon seems like a good guy, someone who I could call a close friend. I just get that feeling. But I do see your point, so how about I wait asking him to visit until Thursday? We'll talk some more before then and I'll see how I feel at that point, fair enough?"

  "Love, I think you should follow your instincts, as you said. You do whatever you think is right, and I'll stand with you. I'm only thinking of you first, as I always will."

  Brody shook his head. "No, I think any time before Thursday might be too soon for him. I don't want to make him too uncomfortable."

  "True, a premature offer might make him uneasy. Then again, such an offer would make even close kin feel a bit out of sorts. So if he hesitates, you just insist. I'd like to meet your family."

  As he stood, Brody said, "I'm glad to hear it." He then offered his hand.

  Kate took it and stood up as well. "What are we doing?"

  Brody moved closer and slowly began tasting her neck. Kate moaned and pressed into him while his arms encircled her. His lips brushed against her ear before he whispered, "I have one more idea. I'll tell it to you in the bedroom."